Minimum wage breaks £6 mark
Almost 900,000 workers, mainly women, will get a pay rise when the minimum wage breaks the £6-an-hour barrier for the first time this weekend, union leaders said.
The adult rate jumps by 15p to £6.08 from Saturday, by 6p to £4.98 for 18- to 20-year-olds, and by 4p to £3.68 for 16- and 17-year-olds, while the apprentice rate goes up by 10p to £2.60.
The TUC said estimates suggested that the 2.5 per cent increase in the adult minimum wage should benefit the public finances by £230m as tax and national insurance rates increase and the benefits bill falls.
General secretary Brendan Barber said: “This rise will put extra cash in the pockets of the UK’s lowest-paid workers when they can ill afford to have their pay squeezed by inflation.”